


when i try and count all my feelings

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mermaid(s), Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Amnesia, Angst, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, Original Fiction, and it's gay and polyamorous, but prince eric goes to ursula and asks for a tail, if you were looking for a cute fic look away, it's like the little mermaid, no beta we die like takao's memories did
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-13 22:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20589977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: “— i find i even forget the warmth that you shared with me.”Three times Takao remembers Daichi and Hiroto,andonetime that he doesn’t.





	when i try and count all my feelings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cloverchii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloverchii/gifts), [gremlin_rights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gremlin_rights/gifts).

**i.**

Takao gasps, lightly, eyes widened. “It’s _you!_”

The _merman_ flushes blue -- for that’s what he must be, isn’t it? With crystal blue eyes like the ocean waves and fish scales dotting his cheeks, not to mention the large fins in place of ears, what else could he have been? A _very_ dedicated cosplayer? He doubts it. The waters around Takao’s ankles ripple as the other’s tail moves under the waves.

“W-what do you mean?” The other asks, faux calm, wringing his webbed hands. “I’m sure I’ve never seen -- especially a human like you, aha --”

Takao shakes his head, treading deeper into the ocean to grasp the merman’s forearm. “No, I’m sure of it! Last week, I saved you! You were gonna drown, weren’cha?”

Now the merman only looks confused, his brow furrowed. He pauses. “... drown … as you humans do when in our waters?” He frowns. “We aren’t capable of ‘drowning’, as you say. We _breathe_ water.”

“... oh.”

Takao laughs, sheepish, scratching his cheek. Now that he thinks of it, merpeople _were_ supposed to be half fish, but in his defence -- he couldn’t see the other’s tail from where he was submerged in the water, so what was he to do but dive in and save him?

… when he couldn’t swim?

… and had nearly tried to drown when he tried ‘saving’ someone who _lived in water_?

… yeah, he had no defence.

“Still!” He presses, pouting. “Just ‘cause it was futile doesn’t mean you can’t discredit that I tried! Right?” Takao admits that it wasn’t the best decision, yeah, but the intent was there, wasn’t it?

“Right.” The other nods, before flicking water at him. Takao yelps, the ocean waves splashing at his shirt and getting it wet. “Hey!” 

“Thank you, then.” The merman says, a smile in his eyes. He smirks. “For _saving_ my life, as you said.”

“Hehe! It’s no problem!” Takao puts his hands on his hips, smiling brightly, before the merman giggles and starts to swim away. His eyes widen.

“Wait!” He calls. “... I didn’t even get your name!” Takao says, which is a thinly veiled excuse to say _Wait! I want to keep talking to you!_

“It’s Daichi!” The merman -- _Daichi_ calls back, winking at him over his shoulder. “We’ll meet again, lifesaver! Hehe.”

Then, he disappears under the waves, and Takao is alone again.

“.... what the _heck_ just happened …”

**ii.**

“Who’s your friend, Daichi?” Takao blinks, swinging his legs to and fro as he dangles at the edge of the pier. The other merman huff, electric purple eyes narrowed. “Why am I here, Daidai? Isn’t he your friend?”

“Exactly!” Daichi pouts, the betta fish mermaid resting his elbows on the pier. “Tako and I are friends, and Hiro and I are friends, so Hiro and Tako should be friends! Shouldn’t they?”

“Makes sense!” He nods, beaming. The other mer -- Hiro? -- crosses his arms. Takao thinks he vaguely remembers the other from the night he had, well, ‘saved’ Daichi -- it could have been a trick of the light, or him hallucinating due to his brain being fogged from nearly drowning -- he wouldn’t have known.

“Fine. But if this goes horribly wrong, it was your idea.”

“Yay!!” Daichi cheers, and Takao grins along with him. “You won’t regret it, Hiro, promise!”

Hiroto merely huffs, cheeks tinged purple. Takao giggles.

“Pleased to meet you then, Hiro! Let’s get along!” 

“Whatever.”

**iii.**

“Are you _sure_ you want this?”

The Sea Witch hums, perched on a rock at the far end of the cave -- different, bright coloured orbs swirl around her, bathing both of them in rainbow coloured light. _An eye for an eye, a tail for a tail._ She had told him, mere minutes earlier. _All magic comes at a price -- are you willing to pay it?_

Takao remembers the first times they met, all of the laughs and fun and _love_ they had shared -- for it was love, wasn’t it? He had been -- no, _still_ is a fool for not having realised it sooner. He _loves_ them, Hiroto and Daichi, which is why he was oh-so willing to forge such a deal to be with them.

_All of your memories of them, in exchange for a mermaid’s tail to join them in the sea. If they cannot prove that they love you in two moon’s time, cannot say that they’d swim to the ends of the known earth for you, then all of your bonds shall be lost to the sands of time. That is the price for what you ask of me._

“Yes.” He says, raising his chin to stare her in the face. Takao is stupid, and too naive for his own good, but he is in _love_ \-- he has faith in Daichi and Hiroto, and that was enough. Isn’t it as the stories say? _Love conquers all?_

“I want this more than anything,” Takao answers the Sea Witch, as a smile that sends shivers down his spine slowly creeps on to her face. “_Please_.”

“Very well.” She giggles, snapping her fingers. “Let’s begin!”  
( The last thing he feels is a sharp pain in his head before his world goes dark. )

** \+ i.**

“ -- ko? _Tako_? Can you hear us?”

Takao opens his eyes, blearily. His head _hurts_ \-- why does it hurt? There’s someone in front of him -- no, _two_ people, though one’s gripping his forearms so tightly he’s almost afraid that they might bruise. “Oh, _Takao_, Tako, my lifesaver, what did you do -- you’re awake!” 

The merman lunges forward, and Takao barely has time to think before he’s trapped in a hug. The other merman sighs -- does he sound _fond_? -- before joining in on the hug, and suddenly he feels like he can’t breathe. _Who_ are _these people?_

He pushes them away, gently, a frown tugging at his lips. The other merman notes this, and frowns too.

“... Takao, what’s wrong …?” He asks, quietly, as the other merman quietly hovers near him. “... did we do something, or …?

“... yeah?” He scratches his head. “I’m pretty sure we’ve never met before, do you hug _every_ stranger on the street, or -- ??”

“_Stranger_?” The merman who had been holding him looks crestfallen, now, and though he doesn’t know him Takao wants nothing more than to comfort and hug him, hug his sorrows away. He pushes the impulse down -- he’d probably come off as strange, and anyway, why would he do that? “After everything, you still consider us -- ?”

“... I’ve never seen you two before in my life. I’m sorry, but -- who are you two, again?”

**Author's Note:**

> this is very, VERY self-indulgent because me, ace and clo were discussing a mermaid au for our kids and i just couldn't resist. not quiiite happy with how some of it turned out but meh. i doubt anyone would read this besides them but if you wanna hmu i'm [xianyun_mp3](https://twitter.com/xianyun_mp3) on twitter! thanks for reading!


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